The Warriors From the Trees
by BlackLabradorPuppy
Summary: It has been many years since the battle with the Dark Forest, and Clan life went back to normal. That is, until the day StarClan sent five special cats a message: they're not alone. Another species has inhabited the forest far longer than the Clans. Now, they want their forest back, and they'll go to any means to get it.
1. Prologue

**The Warriors From the Trees**

**Credit goes to the following people for submitting cats through my Create-a-Cat: AmberyAmber, Dick Smothers, pixeljam, Monster in Wonderland, Scandalous Jay, Reada the Cellist, Nightsplash, Walking in Little Circles, and Forgotten Findings.**

**I do not own Warriors.**

* * *

A ginger tom perched on a tree stump. In this clearing on the very edge of the forest of StarClan, one had a perfect view of the night sky. It wasn't the sky that the tom was interested in, though. He seemed fascinated by a patch of trees on the horizon, which was shrouded by a shimmering silver mist.

To an outsider, the patch in question would have been like any other. Even the mist's peculiar shine could be explained away as a trick of the light. To the cat on the stump however, the patch was significant. It housed a force far more numerous than all the cats in StarClan.

A deadly force.

"Are you okay, Firestar?"

The cat leaped off of his stump at the sound of the raspy voice, and then relaxed when he saw the owner.

"Yellowfang," he stated with relief.

"You've been acting like this ever since Thunder told you. I feel that you're getting yourself too worked up over this," Yellowfang meowed.

Firestar sighed. "I'm...just worried about the Clans. The Skyclaws wouldn't have shielded their forest if they weren't planning something. And the Treeclaws are getting restless. Warriors-"

"Branches," Yellowfang corrected. "They prefer to use parts of trees as rank names."

"Oh," he said. "_Branches_ are teaching their whatever-they-call-apprentices to fight large cats! Kits are playing war games with Clan cats as enemies! Rogues and loners have been turning up dead near Treeclaw trees! They're plotting something. I can tell."

"Firestar, if you think you're the only one concerned about the threat, you're not. Shadow and River have been clamoring to do something for moons. It just took a while for the others to agree. Come with me."

The two padded through the lush green foliage, only stopping to greet other cats. Eventually, they arrived at their destination: a clearing surrounded by massive oak trees. Two cats gathered around a small pool, which glowed with a faint white aura. A black-and-white tom with a long tail glanced upward.

"Firestar. Yellowfang. We're so glad you could join us."

"Tallstar," Firestar stated, dipping his head in respect.

"You're just in time, too," a cat with a broken jaw added. "We were just about to choose the Five. We needed a ThunderClan cat here to witness it."

The cats moved closer as Tallstar touched his paw to the water. The pool rippled. The foursome leaned in closer to see the first of the Five.

"She's a good warrior," Tallstar declared. "She's going to make a fine leader of WindClan someday. And she'll be instrumental in our victory."

The pool rippled again. Again, the StarClan cats peered into it.

"_Him_?" Firestar exclaimed in shock. "He's barely an apprentice!"

"Do not underestimate the power of a young mind, Firestar," Yellowfang chided. "Squirrelflight, your daughter, was an apprentice when she accompanied Brambleclaw on the journey to the sun-drown place."

Once more, a disturbance was seen in the water.

"A senior warrior is always a good thing to have in a team," Yellowfang approved. "He'll be able to balance out the younger cats' recklessness."

The pool rippled.

"A deputy," Tallstar mused. "Possibly a good leader. Maybe arrogant."

"Will you be quiet?" Yellowfang snapped. "You won't get to see the final cat!"

For the final time, the pool rippled, revealing the last of the Five. And the identity of the cat was a shock indeed.

"That's not even a Clan cat!" Yellowfang objected. "I demand an explanation!"

"If she appeared in the pool, she must be one of the Five. Clan cat or no, she can help defeat the Treeclaws."

"Rogues and loners don't believe in StarClan! How will we be able to _tell_ her about the Treeclaws?"

"We'll figure something out," Tallstar reassured her. "We know that what is meant to be will happen, no matter how long it takes."


	2. Cedarpaw

**The Warriors From the Trees**

**Chapter One**

**Acknowledgements this chapter: Thank you to Dick Smothers for the constructive criticism. I'll keep your advice in mind. Also, thank you for both favoriting and following this story.**

* * *

Cedarpaw's eyes flew open in alarm. He glanced around, wide-eyed, looking for tiny, winged warriors flitting into the apprentice den, claws unsheathed, but slowly relaxed as it dawned on him that there were none. Not yet, anyway.

He padded into the ShadowClan camp. Already, cats were bustling about their daily business. He spotted the deputy, Twistedclaw, taking his apprentice and a few warriors out on a patrol. Owltail, the elder who insisted on catching his own prey, was making his way toward the entrance of the camp. Even Dapplekit and Tawnykit were awake, chasing a moss-ball under their mother's watchful eye.

"Cedarpaw!"

He whirled around to see his mentor, Pinewhiskers, standing behind him. Yarroweyes and Fangpaw padded behind him.

"What are you doing? Let's go! We have a border patrol!" Pinewhiskers exclaimed. "I'd hate to keep Lilystripe and Nightwing waiting."

"But what about-" Cedarpaw began, but wisely closed his jaws. He remembered what the gray cat in his dream had said:

_"Do not tell other cats until the time is right."_

The two cats padded to the camp entrance. Lilystripe glared at them. Her expression seemed to say, _It's about time!_

"Where were you?" Nightwing asked. "We've been waiting here for ages!"

"Sorry," Pinewhiskers meowed sheepishly. "It took me a while to find Cedarpaw. We should get a move on. We've lost enough time already."

* * *

"This is the border we share with another Clan," Pinewhiskers meowed. "Do you smell anything, Cedarpaw?"

Cedarpaw opened his jaws to pick up the scents. He smelled trees, a stale squirrel scent, water (possibly from the rain the day before), ShadowClan scent marks and something that he was unable to place. He recoiled at the stench.

"I smell our border marks, pine tr-"

"Cedarpaw, what I meant was can you tell which border we're on by smell alone?" Pinewhiskers explained impatiently.

"Well," he snarled, "_thank you_ for letting me know _now_."

He smelled again, and thought about it.

"Hmm," he mused. "I think that's ThunderClan scent because there is no odor of fish. If there were, we would most certainly be at the RiverClan border."

"Very good," Pinewhiskers praised. "We should best be going."

The rest of the patrol progressed slowly as the four cats made their way around the borders. All the way, Cedarpaw felt irritated by this unnecessary duty. He had been out in the hot greenleaf sun for ages, and not a single cat had set paw across the border.

"Is this really necessary?" he questioned angrily.

Lilystripe glanced at him in surprise.

"Of course it's necessary! How else are we going to make sure the other Clans don't come into our territory?"

"Well," Cedarpaw replied, trying to support his argument, "we haven't seen a single cat from another Clan all day! What is the point of patrolling our borders if they are rarely breached?"

"Cedarpaw, the importance of border patrols is not exaggerated. Long ago, borders were not tended to properly," Nightwing explained. "The cats would often cross accidentally, but were attacked anyway. We go on patrols to renew scent markers so that such incidents would not be repeated."

As the cats continued onward, Cedarpaw kept his head down. Why had he even asked? He should have known there would be reasons beyond keeping enemy Clans away before he made a fool of himself.

A peculiar scent caught his attention. It stank of Twolegplace, with hints of forest.

"Do you smell that?" he called shrilly. "It must be a rogue! There is a dangerous cat on our territory! We have to beat him back to camp! No wait, you go back to camp, and I'll hunt him down! I can hunt the best, you know! Hide the kits and elders in the nursery! They'll be safe there! I'll stop him from-"

"CEDARPAW! Yes, there is a cat on our territory. We are simply going to chase him off. He is probably not going to find our camp. If you're the best hunter, then by all means, lead the way."

He began progressing into the territory. With each footfall, the scent grew a little stronger until it was nearly vomit-inducing.

"He's in there," he whispered to the warriors, gesturing toward a secluded clearing.. "I'll stop him!"

The apprentice carefully made his way toward the bush that blocked his view of the intruder. He tensed, swallowed down his fear, and leaped.

The rogue whirled around a heartbeat too late as he landed on his back. No, _her_ back. It was clear that the tortoiseshell cat was a she-cat. He dug his claws deep into her flesh. She let out a yowl of pain and went limp.

The apprentice relaxed his grip, gazing down at the cat beneath him. What had he done?

Before he knew it, he was hurtling through the air. He landed on the ground with a dull thump. What had happened? He had won the battle...hadn't he?

As the cat strolled triumphantly toward him, the absence of blood-aside from small beads from his claw marks-told him the whole story. He hadn't won the battle at all. The cat had simply fooled him into thinking that he had defeated her. And now, she had the upper hand!

_How could I be so stupid?_

The cat purred with delight, gazing down at him.

"You thought you could defeat me? You're barely older than a kit!"

Cedarpaw winced at the insult. It was true he was small. The big warriors and even a few of the apprentices dwarfed him at camp. He thought he was the smallest apprentice in the whole forest.

As she reared up to deliver his deathblow, Cedarpaw closed his eyes. For the first time, he understood how the prey he so skillfully caught felt. He awaited the bite on his neck, hoping that StarClan just might spare him.

The bite never came. He tentatively opened one eye just in time to see Pinewhiskers throwing his assailant off of him. Lilystripe and Nightwing pounced as well. Within seconds, the tortoiseshell cat was completely surrounded.

"Don't you go anywhere," Pinewhiskers commanded harshly. "We're taking you back to camp. Come along, Cedarpaw."

Pride wounded, he brought up the rear of the group surrounding the cat.

* * *

**Credits:**

**Warriors belongs to the Erins.**

**Cedarpaw belongs to me.**

**Pinewhiskers belongs to Reada the Cellist.**

**Nightwing belongs to Dick Smothers.**

**I'm not sure who Lilystripe belongs to. If you or someone you know created her, please let me know so I can credit you.**

**The tortoiseshell cat also belongs to me.**

**Please review!**


	3. Lucky

**The Warriors From the Trees  
**

**Chapter Two**

**I'd like to thank pixeljam for reviewing Chapter One. **

* * *

Lucky had gotten herself into many a fix before, but never like this.

She had evaded the cat catchers, escaped a forest fire, and survived the endless ramblings of a house cat named Nemo, but this was something new. How was she supposed to fight off three cats who were larger and more skilled fighters than she was?

The answer came to her quickly: she wasn't supposed to fight them off. Like the wheat-eater, fighting would do more harm than good. She was just supposed to go along with what the cats wanted.

They made their way through endless pine forest. She tried to locate landmarks that she could use to find her way out when she escaped, but gave up in just heartbeats. The forest looked exactly the same, after all.

The tortoiseshell's captors seemed to know where they were going, even if she didn't. They eventually arrived at a dip in the ground teeming with cats of all ages, from elderly toms with grey fur on their muzzles to tiny, rambunctious kits.

To the brown tabby who had attacked her, he ordered, "Cedarpaw, go to the medicine den so that Thorntooth can check you over."

To Lucky, he said, "Follow me."

She followed the ginger cat obediently, knowing that trying to flee would be useless against all these cats. They must have been fighting since they were born. How else could they work so fluidly together?

They came to a bramble bush. Why in the world would the ginger cat take her to a bramble bush?

"Eaglestar!" the cat called in an important manner to the bramble bush. Lucky secretly decided that this ginger cat was mad.

She was soon proved wrong by a cat appearing from beneath the bush. It was a ragged-looking sort of cat, with great bare patches, which were very conspicuous against the cat's dark brown fur, at random points on his back. There were also several whiskers missing from his face. Lucky decided that the cat was either careless or reckless.

"You called, Pinewhiskers?" the brown cat, who must have been Eaglestar, meowed in a charismatic tone.

"Yes!" he said breathlessly. "My border patrol found this rogue on ShadowClan territory! She attacked my apprentice, and-"

"Wait!" Lucky interrupted. "Since when has this forest been _your_ territory? Last I checked, cats were allowed to come and go as they pleased without being assaulted, abducted, and harassed by cats who strut about claiming that the area is exclusively theirs!"

"Quiet!" the ginger cat, who Lucky thought was Pinewhiskers, snapped. "As I was saying, she attacked my apprentice, and probably would have killed him if Lilystripe, Nightwing, and I hadn't shown up! Shall we kill her, just to make sure that she does not cause real harm to any more of our warriors?"

Eaglestar fixed Pinewhiskers with a withering glare.

"No," he declared. "Warriors are merciful and do not kill unless it is absolutely necessary, which is something you are clearly too mouse-brained to realize!"

Pinewhiskers dipped his head.

"Perhaps," Eaglestar hissed, "we should simply hold her in camp for a while. Pinewhiskers, take her to the prisoner's den."

* * *

Lucky sat on the mossy floor, wondering about these strange cats. Why did they live in groups? Why did they insist that a sizable chunk of the forest was their territory?

And WHY did they have such odd names?

She detected the scent of a very vaguely familiar cat. She turned and saw the tom she attacked, that Cedarfoot or something.

"Hi," he greeted her sheepishly. "Pinewhiskers made-I mean, I came to change your moss."

And sure enough, at his paws was a bundle of the green stuff.

"I'm Cedarpaw," he added.

"Lucky," she greeted. "Why do you think this is your territory?"

A look of confusion registered on Cedarpaw's face.

"Because it is," he meowed, as if this statement answered everything.

"Yes, but why can't any other cats come through these parts?"

"Because," Cedarpaw stated, looking exasperated, "we live here and mark it with our scent to let intruders know. Didn't you smell them?"

"_Yes_," she snapped, "but I thought that they were the marks of some other cat who was telling other cats to keep away."

"It's fine," he meowed. "You wouldn't know, since you're a rogue and all."

"A _what_?"

"A rogue," Cedarpaw explained. "A cat who isn't part of the Clans-"

"So _that's_ what you call yourselves," Lucky mused.

Cedarpaw nodded, and plowed on with his enlightenment.

"Like I was saying, a rogue is a cat who isn't part of the Clans, moves around a lot, and is potentially dangerous."

"But I'm not dangerous!" Lucky protested. Cedarpaw ignored this.

"Anyway, the real purpose of the borders is to keep out the other Clans. There are four Clans in all-Thunder, Shadow, River, and Wind. This is ShadowClan."

He suddenly noticed the fading light outside the den.

"Great StarClan, I have to go to the apprentice den for sleep! Good night," he called as he left the den,

Once he was gone, Lucky picked up the bundle of moss and arranged it into a nest. Lying down in the nest, she thought about how nice Cedarpaw had been and how maybe-just maybe-they could be friends, or casual acquaintances at the very least...

* * *

Three days passed. Each day, Cedarpaw came in to visit, never for very long, just to deliver fresh moss or a piece of prey, but they always had a conversation, and Lucky learned quite a bit about the Clans. She learned that RiverClan ate mainly fish and were always well-fed because it never ran out, and that there were eight ranks in the Clans, and that all the Clans worshiped StarClan, which were the spirits of their ancestors. Lucky found this strange-who had time for worshiping their ancestors when there was prey to be caught?

Cedarpaw had turned up for his daily conversation, and the remains of an especially plump thrush lay at Lucky's paws.

"Have you ever had a really strange dream?" Lucky inquired curiously.

"Yes!" he said. "A few days ago, I had this dream that there were tiny little winged cats that were going to attack the Clans-"

He froze in stupefied horror.

"I shouldn't have said that," he muttered to himself rather audibly.

"It's fine," Lucky meowed. "because I had that dream, too."

Cedarpaw's horror turned to shock in an instant.

"You had it also?" he exclaimed. "That must mean-"

"'_Must mean_'," Lucky mocked, with all the contempt she could muster. "It's just a dream. It doesn't mean anything!"

"But we both had it!" Cedarpaw defended himself. "Maybe it's a sign from StarClan! Maybe the Treeclaws are _real_! What if other cats had the dream, too?"

"Coincidence," Lucky said dismissively, and began licking the last scraps of meat from the thrush bones.

As Cedarpaw opened his mouth to continue, a third shape burst into the den.

"Nightwing!" Cedarpaw yelped, gawking at the third cat. "What are you-what's wrong?"

The fluffy black tom gasped for breath. He had clearly run all the way to the den.

"Cedarpaw," he panted. "Sorry to bother you-it's only just happened-but Eaglestar is dead!"

* * *

**Credits:**

**Warriors belongs to the Erin Hunters.**

**Cedarpaw and Lucky belong to me.**

**Nightwing and Eaglestar belong to Luna-Chan-Georgine and Spots V.**

**Pinewhiskers belongs to Reada the Cellist.**

**Please review!**


	4. Sapling Raven

**The Warriors From the Trees**

**Chapter Three**

**Acknowledgements this chapter: Thank you to Moonlit Demise for reviewing Chapter Two.**

* * *

Sapling Raven had to congratulate himself on this victory.

He had thought it would be difficult finding the ShadowClan camp, but it had been laughably simple. All he had to do was follow the scent trails. There was a big web of them all around the pine forest, and they all led back to the camp.

After that, it had been easy to watch the camp from high in the trees unnoticed-an easy feat, since he was about the size of the average mouse (excluding his wings), like all Treeclaws. He had observed the camp for three days, taken note of the cats' behavior, and planned ways to carry out his mission: kill their leader.

He had decided that it would be best to attack in the middle of the day, when all their _warriors-_-such a ridiculous term-were out hunting. He didn't understand why they hunted in groups. Sure, it took three or four tiny Treeclaws to bring down one squirrel, but just one of the huge cats could easily catch a mouse or bird alone.

After that, he had slipped into the camp undetected and hide in the leader's den to wait. The cat wasn't there when he arrived, so he was never spotted by any of the Clan cats.

At least, not before it was too late.

As his victim-Eaglestar, was it?-tucked into a plump sparrow, he had pounced and sank his tiny fangs into the bigger cat's neck. However, he had noticed and tried to shake him off, but he wasn't quick enough. By the time he let go, Eaglestar lay dead upon the ground.

He confirmed that Eaglestar was dead, concealed any evidence, and hid if other cats appeared. One did-a somber-looking tom who had taken away the body. His black fur, tiny stature, and shadows provided by the trees combined had served as an excellent cover as he made his escape.

Sapling Raven could still see the camp below. Eaglestar's corpse lay in the center of the clearing, with many cats gathered around it. He was sure none of them could see his microscopic teeth marks. He had taken great care to hide them with the cat's fur.

How despicable he must seem to an outsider-killing a respected cat and only caring about the evidence! Was becoming a Branch _really_ worth becoming a murderer?

Then, he remembered. This murder was a step to liberation for he and his brethren. He was playing a role in ensuring that his kits and their kits wouldn't have to hide from the arrogant Clan cats! They could be safe and really _live_, rather than being holed up in a tree almost constantly!

With that thought, he extended his wings and sped off toward home.

* * *

As Sapling Raven alighted down on a limb of a maple tree, the first thing he heard was, "Hey! Raven!"

He turned at the sound of his nickname. He saw his mentor, Branch Rabbit, half-walking, half-flying toward him.

Branch Mallow was a pretty female Treeclaw, with sleek brown tabby fur and bright green eyes. Right now, they were wide with anxiety.

"Did you complete your mission?" she asked anxiously.

He nodded, and watched happily as her features rearranged themselves into relief.

"Oh, Raven, this is wonderful! Follow me. I'm going to get Trunk Blue and ask him to start your Branch ceremony. If anyone deserves it, it's you."

She led him into one of the hollows inside of the tree. Seven Treeclaws slept on scraps of moss, chatted, or took tiny bites out of a squirrel carcass that lay in the middle of the hollow. Raven couldn't help but notice that the squirrel was beginning to smell, and parts of it looked like they were rotting, and yet three Treeclaws were eating it anyway.

Trunk Blue sat near the top, watching over the other six. His blue-gray fur was dull, and his bones were prominent beneath the pelt. With a pang, Sapling Raven remembered that Trunk Blue was starving himself so that the others could eat. They were too small to catch a lot of prey, and then there was the matter of staying away from the Clan cats.

Once again, he was lost in the fantasy of the world his kin would live in when the Clans surrendered. In that world, the Treeclaws would have lots of fresh prey, and every one of them would be well-fed, and they wouldn't have to stay in the trees, and the Clan cats would be imprisoned in their camps, and _they_ would be forced to eat rotting food... He was so absorbed that he almost didn't notice when Trunk Blue started asking him questions.

"Sapling Raven, is it true you killed Eaglestar, the leader of ShadowClan?" he inquired coolly.

"Yes," he answered with a hint of pride in his voice.

"You were not seen?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure that he is dead?"

"_Yes_," he said, with a hint of annoyance. "I saw them carry the body out. I even checked to make sure."

"Explain how you did it, and why it took so long."

Raven was miffed. Here he had done what the strongest Branch in the Maple Flock could not! He had killed a Clan leader! And here Trunk Blue was, asking why it took so long! Wasn't he a little grateful that an important Clan cat was dead by his paw?

He started his story, not trying to disguise the annoyance in his voice.

"Well," he began, "I had to find the camp. That happened the day you gave me the assignment. Then, I watched them from a tree. If they saw me, which I doubt, they probably thought I was a bird or something. I took note of their habits, located the places the leader went, and formulated a plan.

"This morning, when everyone was still asleep, I sneaked into the camp. I waited at the edge of the camp, and then at around the time the sun is at its highest point, I slipped into his den. He wasn't there. When he came back, I waited for him to get distracted with his meal," he continued, recalling the rage that bubbled up inside him when he had seen him eating that bird while Treeclaws starved here, "and then I killed him.

"I hid, in case another cat came. And one did. He took away the body and did not see me. I left the camp unnoticed, as the cats mourned for their leader."

Trunk Blue pondered for a moment, and then nodded. "Your Branch ceremony will take place at sunset," he said. "I suggest you rest up before then."

* * *

Sapling Raven lay in his nest, as if his bit of moss could be called a nest, but he was too excited to rest. His mind was too preoccupied with his Branch ceremony. Several times, he ran to the hollow exit to see how close it was to sunset. Then, something happened to take his mind off of the assault and the upcoming Branch ceremony.

"Hi, Raven!" a high-pitched voice called.

He sat bolt upright at the sound of that voice. Looking up, he saw his friend, Sapling Frost.

"Is it true that you killed the ShadowClan Root?" she asked, her green eyes wide and especially prominent on her white fur.

"Leader," he corrected, "they don't use our term. But yes, I did, Frost."

"You have to become a Branch for this," she stated seriously. "You just have to. This is great!"

"I am becoming a Branch," he exclaimed happily. "The ceremony is at sunset!"

"This is amazing!" she squealed. She gave him a lick on the flank, and then padded back to her own nest.

Sunset arrived, and with it came a messenger, a Leaf.

"Trunk Blue has ordered everyone to the topmost branches of the tree for a meeting," he said quickly, before flying up to higher hollows.

"It is probably your Branch ceremony!" Frost mewed excitedly. They spread their wings at the same time, and took off toward the very top of their maple tree.

There were five or six cats gathered there when they arrived. They were mostly Branches, or Flowers, who had left their kits for the ceremony, but there was a Sapling or two. When they alighted down on a spindly branch, all the Saplings present moved to sit next to Raven and Frost. He was clearly the most popular of them now. Trunk Blue arrived last, and he landed on the highest branch of all.

This was unusual. During ceremonies, the Treeclaw carrying it out stayed airborne until it was over.

_Fasting is probably making him tired so he can't fly as well_, Raven thought.

"I have gathered you here today for two reasons. First, we will be celebrating a Sapling be inducted into Branch ranks. Sapling Raven, please join me at the top of the tree."

He spread his black wings and flew to the top of the tree. At this time, Trunk Blue rose as well. They hovered opposite each other.

"Branch Sage, please join us."

She flew up as well and hovered along with them.

"Branch Sage, you have done well in mentoring this Sapling. He has learned valuable skills in hunting and combat from you. The Maple Flock thanks you for your contribution."

She dipped her head modestly before returning to her branch to watch the proceedings.

"Sapling Raven, you have learned well. You are a valuable part of our Flock. Are you ready to join us as a Branch?"

"I am," he answered.

Trunk Blue flew forward and touched his nose to each of Sapling Raven's wings.

"Then I name you Branch Raven," he said. "May the Skyclaws guide your wings."

The newly named Branch Raven swooped back down to his perch to cheers of "Branch Raven! Branch Raven!" Trunk Blue settled back on his branch.

"The next matter of importance concerns phase two of our plan. Branch Raven carried out phase one this morning," he began. "After continuous study of the habits of the Clan cats, three of our Branches have a discovery that is important to our mission. Branch Petal, Branch Mist, and Branch Squirrel, can you please tell us what you have found?"

Three Treeclaws soared about a mouse-length above the crowd as all eyes turned to them. One, a silvery tabby who Raven believed was Branch Mist, began the report.

"We have discovered that after the Clan cats select a leader, they travel to a pool in the hills. Once they arrive, the new leader drinks from the pool and stays there all night. They often leave around nightfall," she stated importantly.

"Thank you," Trunk Blue said, and reclaimed control of the meeting. "The plan is to ambush the new leader from a specific place as he or she passes. By killing their new leader, we can make sure that the Clan remains unguided in times of trouble and seize control easily.

"The Treeclaws going on the ambush are as follows: Branch Breeze, Branch Dusk, Branch Fox, Branch Rabbit, Branch Squirrel, Branch Sparrow, Branch Raven, Sapling Thorn, Sapling Frost, and Sapling Claw."

Raven's heart soared. Trunk Blue had chosen _him _for another important mission?

"The meeting is concluded," Trunk Blue said. "Treeclaws selected for the ambush, please leave to carry it out."

Ten Treeclaws unfurled their wings and zoomed into the sunset.

* * *

Nightfall found the Treeclaws well-hidden in a willow tree, whose long, flowing tresses all but concealed them from sight.

"If the cat passes by here, then we should be able to kill him easily," Branch Fox muttered.

It had seemed like the perfect place to hide. Unfortunately, they hadn't thought about one thing.

"HEY!"

"Oh no," Branch Fox muttered, "I forgot-"

Four powerfully built Treeclaws were making their way down the tree toward them.

"It's the Willow Flock," he murmured under his breath, before proceeding to call himself a feather-brain.

"What are you doing here?" the biggest cat, a gray tom who Raven believed was named Branch Storm, inquired in a booming voice.

"We are carrying out a mission for the Maple Flock," Branch Squirrel explained, with almost as much authority as Branch Storm. "We're sorry. We didn't know this was a Willow Flock tree."

"What kind of mission?" a brown tabby Treeclaw asked curiously.

"That is private information," Branch Squirrel said coldly.

"Why must you keep secrets from us?" Branch Storm continued. "I thought all of the Treeclaws were allies now."

"Then why did you come down with a patrol to ask why we were here?" Branch Squirrel challenged.

"Because although we are allies, the Willow Flock does not take too kindly to intruders."

"He has a point," Sapling Thorn called out from the middle of the group.

"Oh, all right," Branch Squirrel grumbled. "We're in phase two of an assault on ShadowClan."

"An assault on ShadowClan?" the tabby Treeclaw repeated. "Didn't you just kill their leader this morning?"

"Yes," Branch Raven said proudly. "I did. I became a Branch for it."

They stared at him in stunned silence for a moment. Then Branch Storm said, "Congratulations on becoming a Branch. You definitely deserved it. So what's the plan?"

"New ShadowClan leaders come by here to go to a pool in the hills," Branch Fox explained. "We are going to attack and kill the new leader as he passes by here, along with any cats he is traveling with."

They stared for a bit, before the tabby Treeclaw asked to help.

"Sure," Branch Fox grumbled.

Branch Raven wasn't sure how long they sat in the tree. But their efforts were not for nothing. Eventually, the new leader, a burly grey tom, and a black, amber-eyed she-cat, passed.

"Ready?" Branch Fox whispered. "One-two-THREE!"

The last word was a caterwaul, and with that, the ambush pounced and split. Seven cats went after the black she-cat, while the other seven attacked the tom.

The she-cat was old and feeble, and she was killed nearly instantly by a bite to the neck delivered by Sapling Claw and Branch Dusk. Her attackers then descended on the tom.

Unlike the other victim, the tom was powerful, and did everything he could to shake them off. It took quite a while before eight Treeclaws, situated at his paws, dragged him down. Four more swooped down, claws extended, and pinned him to the forest floor. The battle ended when Branch Sparrow bit him on the neck.

They left the corpses behind, thanked the Willow Flock quartet, and set out for their home tree. They were almost there when Sapling Frost spotted something that could be damning: eyes. Cat's eyes, to be precise.

"LOOK OUT!" she screeched.

They'd begun to maneuver up into the treetops, but it was too late.

They had been seen.

* * *

**Treeclaw society is a bit complicated, so here's a quick guide.**

**Flock: the Treeclaw equivalent of a Clan. There are eight, and a Flock's name comes from what type of tree its members live in.**

**Root: the leader of every cat in the Flock. There is one for each.**

**Trunk: since the Root cannot be everywhere at once, he/she instates a Trunk in each tree, and he/she is the leader of that Tree.**

**Branch: the Treeclaw equivalent of a warrior.**

**Sapling: the Treeclaw equivalent of an apprentice.**

**Flower: the Treeclaw equivalent of a queen.**

**Leaf: a messenger.**

**Naming: a Treeclaw's name consists of two words. The first is the rank. The second is a personal addition, and is often a Treeclaw's nickname, but the official names are used during ceremonies.**

* * *

**Credits:**

**Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter.**

**All of the Treeclaws belong to me.**

**Eaglestar and the two dead cats (Twistedclaw and Thorntooth are their names) belong to Luna-Chan-Georgine and Spots V.**

**Please review!**


	5. Oakfur

**The Warriors from the Trees**

**Chapter Four**

**Thank you the three people who reviewed Chapter 3. Also, thank you to the two people now following this story.**

* * *

Oakfur raced back to camp, his mind struggling to comprehend what he had just seen.

Since the dream, he had suspected that Treeclaws existed for a short while (meaning two or three heartbeats), before dismissing it under the pretext that the dream was just that: a dream. After all, if there really were Treeclaws, they would have shown themselves before. Since they hadn't, there probably were no such things.

At least, that was what he believed until he saw them during his nighttime stroll.

From what was in the dream, the Treeclaws could be lethal, and were horribly destructive:

_He had raced through the forest, his mind filled with panic and ears buzzing with the sound of tiny, rapid wing beats. He glanced behind him and saw dozens of creatures flying along behind him. They looked like tiny, winged cats, who moved incredibly fast. They had unsheathed claws. He decided to call them cat-birds. _

_Thorns tore at his pelt, and branches littered the forest floor. He dodged and weaved, desperately trying to escape the swarm._

_He stumbled on a branch and fell to the forest floor. The cats descended and clawed at every exposed bit of him. He swatted at one and hit it in the head. It was dead before it hit the ground. He used this method on the cat-birds he could reach._

_However, for every cat-bird that he killed, there was another to take its place. In time, he was too tired to keep resisting. Twelve cat-birds pinned him down as a thirteenth moved in for the kill._

_The scene shifted, and he was looking at his camp-gone horribly wrong._

_Parts of dens were torn away. Debris littered the ground. Blood was spattered everywhere. Cat-birds perched on every available surface. He wanted to look away from the grisly scene, but couldn't stop looking._

_The dead lay in a pile. His friends, his hunting partners, the warrior he had mentored...all dead._

_A shriek turned his attention away from them. His son, Greykit, was trying feebly to bat away the cat-birds that attacked him. One pounced on him and even from across the camp, Oakfur could hear the snap of his spine._

_His son was dead._

_He let out a cry of anguish and raced across the camp to the fallen kit as cat-birds lifted him into the air and carried him over to the pile. Just one more on the heap._

_The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was, "Beware the Treeclaws!"_

He had to tell someone about this danger. But who? None of his friends in ThunderClan would believe him. And he might as well warn the other Clans as teach hedgehogs to fly.

The leader! He should tell the leader of ThunderClan! Darkstar would surely believe him.

* * *

"So you're saying that we will all be murdered by tiny winged cats?" Darkstar said cynically. "That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

"But it's true!" Oakfur insisted. "I _saw_ them!"

"You saw a bird," the leader said dismissively. "Now stop wasting my time! There is a Gathering tonight and I still haven't picked who is going!"

Seething, Oakfur stormed from the den. Why wouldn't Darkstar believe him? He had even presented evidence to support his claim! Now how would he warn the others?

_"...There is a Gathering tonight..."_

Of course! Darkstar had mentioned a Gathering! If he was invited, then he would be able to warn _all_ of the Clans in one fell swoop!

No sooner had this revelation come to him than Darkstar padded out of his den. The usual chatter continued among the warriors, but the four apprentices were clustered together, whispering excitedly.

_They're probably debating which of them is going to the Gathering_, Oakfur thought. It seemed extraordinary to him that the young cats were discussing something as normal as a Gathering when danger could be lurking directly overhead. He cast a nervous glance at the canopy of leaves. Darkstar glared disapprovingly at him.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" he yowled. At once, cats came from all directions. Kits, elders, and everything in between came bursting from dens.

"The cats going to tonight's Gathering are as follows," he began. "Blossomfur, Whitefoot, Mousetail, Redclaw, Hailnose, Maplestorm, Larkpaw, and..."

Oakfur paid the utmost attention as Darkstar uttered,

"Briarstrike."

* * *

"Why didn't you let me go?" Oakfur demanded.

"Because," Darkstar said patiently, "I was worried that you would scare the other cats with that mouse-brained tale of yours. Don't tell me you still think that the Branchpaws-"

"Treeclaws!"

"-_Treeclaws _are real!"

"They are real!" Oakfur snapped.

"Have a nice night," Darkstar said waspishly before stalking out of his den.

As Oakfur stormed down to the warrior's den, he heard two of the apprentices who had been left behind talking wistfully of the Gathering.

"Larkpaw is so lucky!" a sleek black-and-white she-cat named Beetlepaw moaned. "She gets to meet all of the other Clans, and go to the Gathering Island, and-"

"I heard that she only got to go because Darkstar thought that she might try to sneak out to the Gathering if she didn't," Nettlepaw, a light brown tabby she-cat who was Larkpaw's sister, said viciously. "You know how she is."

"Yeah," Beetlepaw agreed. "She would shout, 'I WANT to go to the Gathering!' in front of everyone! But I wouldn't put it past her to sneak out. She is SUCH a brat!"

"Let's not gossip about our Clanmates," Oakfur chided. However, his mind was elsewhere. Because the conversation had given him an idea of how to get to the Gathering.

* * *

Oakfur slipped through the forest, ears open for the rustle of wings. It may have been his imagination, but he spotted a small shape leaping from tree to tree. As the forest gave way to moor, he made his way down to the beach. It didn't matter, anyway. Most of WindClan would be at the Gathering, and the others would be hidden away in their camp. For a moment, he thought of the Treeclaws, and how exposed his Clanmates were...

He shook his head to clear it. He had a more important task to focus on.

As WindClan territory turned to RiverClan territory, Oakfur's pace grew quicker. What if it was too late and the Treeclaws had taken advantage of the large amount of cats in one place?

When he arrived at the island, he saw that it wasn't too late. The cats all sat clustered around the Great Oak, gazing up at the four leaders. He raced across the fallen tree that served as a bridge before stopping in the midst of it all.

"Listen to me!" he cried. Emberstar, the WindClan leader, stopped in the middle of his report on the events that had happened in WindClan. Darkstar averted his gaze.

Oakfur shot up the tree to the highest branch that would support his weight.

"I'm Oakfur," he began. "I'm a member of ThunderClan."

All eyes turned onto the ThunderClan representatives, but Oakfur plowed on with his speech.

"I had a dream," he said, "that the Clans were destroyed by tiny, winged cats called Treeclaws. I didn't believe in Treeclaws at first, but then I saw ten of them. There are most likely more. They will destroy us all!

"We must band together!" he cried. "Only united can we bring down these parasites of the trees! Who's with me?"

He gazed impressively at the crowd. They stared back, awestruck, for a heartbeat, and then burst out laughing. The ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan cats purred in delight. All except for three: an apprentice, a young light brown tabby, and an older silver cat with long fur, who gawked in horror.

"I apologize for Oakfur's actions," Darkstar said icily. "He isn't quite right. He doesn't know what's real and what isn't. Oakfur, what were you thinking, coming here tonight? Anything could have happened, especially to a mad cat like you. Now, please get down from this tree. You are embarrassing us."

Oakfur scrambled down the tree and fell ten feet from the ground, only renewing the laughter. He stalked into the shadows, cursing his own stupidity. He had made ThunderClan the laughingstock of the forest and ruined his reputation in a matter of heartbeats.

Only after the Gathering was over did he make any movement to leave. As he made his way toward the tree-bridge, he felt a small nip on his tail. He turned and saw the long-furred silver cat he had noticed before.

"I need to talk to you," she whispered. "Now."

* * *

**Credits:**

**Warriors belongs to the Erin Hunters.**

**The Treeclaws belong to me.**

**Oakfur belongs to me.**

**Darkstar belongs to AmberyAmber.**

**Nettlepaw and Larkpaw belong to Monster in Wonderland.**

**Beetlepaw belongs to Reada the Cellist.**

**The long-furred silver cat belongs to me.**

**Please review!**


	6. Feathershade

**The Warriors From the Trees**

**Chapter Five**

**Acknowledgements this chapter: Thank you to the people who reviewed the past chapter, making a grand total of 12 reviews.**

* * *

Confusion filled Feathershade's head. _This _was the fifth cat?

The ThunderClan cat-she thought his name was Oakfur-had probably seemed deranged, even dangerous, to the rest of the Clans. In fact, he had seemed deranged and dangerous to _her_.

She masked this, however, and arranged her features into a pleased expression. "Hello! We're so glad you joined us," she purred. "What's your name?"

"Oakfur," he said neutrally, as if his embarrassing speech was already forgotten. "And yours?"

"Feathershade," she stated seriously. "And their names-" she gestured toward the three cats sitting behind her-"are Rabbitfoot"-a pretty brown tabby she-cat flicked her tail-"Cedarpaw"-a small brown tom inclined his head-"and Lucky." Feathershade gestured toward a tortoiseshell she-cat.

"Let's get these introductions over with," Cedarpaw said in annoyance. "Do you know how much trouble I went to so I could get Lucky here without being seen? At _your_ direction, of course."

"If you say so," Feathershade meowed. "Anyway, we are in danger."

They met this statement with a short silence. Then, Rabbitfoot said, "I think we all figured that out, mouse-brain. Do you know what happened to ShadowClan?"

"_Yes_," Feathershade snapped, her patience fraying. "Anyway, the reason we are in danger is because of the Treeclaws. I do hope you all know what the Treeclaws _are_?"

"Of course!" Cedarpaw hissed. "We're not stupid. We found that out in the dream."

"But it's just a dream!" Lucky chimed in.

"No, it's not," Cedarpaw insisted. "If it was, then why would we all have it?"

"Coincidence," Lucky said airily.

"Look," Oakfur said. "We are wasting too much time on petty arguments. We have to concentrate on the issue at hand-how we are going to get rid of the Treeclaws once and for all."

"Right!" Feathershade agreed gratefully. "Does anyone have any ideas?"

Oakfur was first to speak. "Alert the Clans!"

"Obviously," Lucky said coldly. "But how are we supposed to do that without seeming like crackpots?"

"What's a crackpot?" Rabbitfoot inquired curiously.

"It's her vocabulary," Cedarpaw explained. "A mouse-brain to us."

"I see," she said. "So how exactly are we supposed to alert the Clans?"

"I honestly don't know," Feathershade meowed helplessly. "I think our plan of action here is to wait for the Clans to discover it themselves."

"But that could take ages!" Oakfur protested.

"It's the best plan we've got," Lucky admitted sourly. "But what are we going to do until then?"

Feathershade looked at her blankly. "I don't know...let's just-"

"Let things happen?" Rabbitfoot sneered.

"Make it up as we go along?" Cedarpaw meowed. "The Treeclaws won't wait forever, you know. They're going to attack eventually. And the first cats they come after will be-"

"Us," Lucky said grimly. "We're the only ones who know of their existence. If they just kill us off before the Clans find out, they will have the advantage of surprise, and the takeover will be simple."

"Exactly, darling," a voice drawled from the moonlit treetops. The cats just watched, stunned, as dozens of Treeclaws slipped fluidly from the majestic plants from which they got their name.

* * *

Instinctively, Feathershade unsheathed her claws, and the others did the same. She stared bleakly at the minuscule, winged cats closed in around them. In a few heartbeats, the Treeclaws trapped them in a living, breathing dome.

The buzz of their wings gave Feathershade a headache. How was she supposed to get them out of this?

The dome closed in around them. As their prison shrank, the cats had to clump together to preserve space.

However, Oakfur was first to snap out of the trance. He took a swipe at a Treeclaw, and it fell. The same fate met seven more, and Oakfur opened a gap large enough for the little Cedarpaw to squeeze through.

However, the apprentice didn't take the opportunity. He instead rushed forward and took out two more Treeclaws, so Lucky could escape. They dashed out together and disappeared into the night.

The remaining three cats swatted at Treeclaws, and as more collapsed, there weren't enough left to sustain the dome. They scattered in all directions. The foul creatures had evidently realized this as well.

They were just congratulating themselves on this victory when Cedarpaw and Lucky returned.

"They've blocked the fallen tree," Cedarpaw gasped. "There's no way off of the island!"

Feathershade raced to the tree to confirm that another wall of Treeclaws stood guard over the only pathway off of the island. The other four soon joined her.

She had been stupid not to foresee this. Why else would the Treeclaws yield so easily? They had allowed the dome to shatter because the group was already trapped.

Unless...

"Follow me," she whispered urgently to the others. They slipped back into the forest and around to the edge of the island.

"Oh no," Oakfur stated as soon as he saw the water. "I am not doing that! It's not happening!"

"You prefer death by Treeclaws to swimming?" Feathershade inquired.

"I'll drown if I swim anyway!"

"But wouldn't that be a lot less painful than death by Treeclaws?" she pointed out.

"I'm still not going in!" Oakfur said stubbornly.

Lucky had no qualms about swimming, though. She was already in the water and asking for Cedarpaw to come in, too.

"But I don't know how to swim!" he protested. "I will surely drown."

"Then I'll teach you, or carry you through the water," she suggested. Cedarpaw stepped gingerly into the black water. He placed one paw in front of the other, and slowly, but surely made his way to Lucky. She seized his scruff and started swimming to the outlines of distant evergreen trees on the other side.

_If Oakfur and Rabbitfoot don't want to swim, that's their problem_, Feathershade thought as she took off into the lake.

She fluidly made her way to a point a few tree-lengths from the island, then turned around and started swimming back toward RiverClan territory. Across the lake, she could barely make out Lucky and Cedarpaw. One of them appeared to be thrashing frantically.

However, Oakfur and Rabbitfoot remained stranded on the Gathering Island. They turned and vanished into the trees behind them.

* * *

**Credits:**

**Warriors belongs to the Erin Hunters.**

**The Treeclaws belong to me.**

**Oakfur, Rabbitfoot, Feathershade, Lucky, and Cedarpaw all belong to me.**

**Please review and PLEASE tell me of any Kitty-Sues/Stus you see.**


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